What Makes An Air Bag Inflate; How Does An Air Bag Restrain; What Will You See After An Air Bag Inflates - GMC Jimmy 2004 Owner's Manual

What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag, and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger.

How Does an Air Bag Restrain?

In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute
the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's
upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually.
But air bags would not help you in many types of
collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is
not toward those air bags. Air bags should never be
regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety
belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions.
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What Will You See After an Air Bag
Inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates,
so quickly that some people may not even realize
the air bag inflated. Some components of the air bag
module — the steering wheel hub for the driver's air bag,
or the instrument panel for the right front passenger's
bag — will be hot for a short time. The parts of the bag
that come into contact with you may be warm, but not
too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and
dust coming from the vents in the deflated air bags.
Air bag inflation doesn't prevent the driver from seeing
or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle.
CAUTION:
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When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
CAUTION: (Continued)